AR Rahman’s ‘communal bias in Bollywood’ remarks get support from Mehbooba Mufti, former J-K CM says 'when Javed Akhtar dismisses...'

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday (January 18, 2026) backed the music composer A.R. Rehman's claims, stating that there was “communal bias in Bollywood”. Her statement comes when Rahman has been subjected to a lot of criticism over his recent interview in which he said that work from the Hindi film industry has slowed for him over the past eight years, attributing the slowdown to a “power shift” and hinting that it “might be a communal thing.”

AR Rahman controversy: What did Mehbooba Mufti say?

In a post on X, Ms Mufti said, “Bollywood has always been a living mini-India mirroring the country’s social realities. Brushing aside such experiences does not change the truth about today’s India.” She also slammed lyricist Javed Akhtar, adding, “When Javed Akhtar dismisses A.R. Rahman’s concerns about the growing communalisation of Bollywood, he contradicts lived and shared realities of Indian Muslim,s including those of his own wife Shabana Azmi, who has openly spoken about being denied housing for being Muslim in a cosmopolitan city like Bombay."

What is A.R. Rahman controversy?

During a recent interaction with BBC Asian Network, Rahman spoke about getting limited work offers in Bollywood. He said, "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face. It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, 'Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family." After that interview, reactions came from both fans and film personalities, including Javed Akhtar and Kangana Ranau,t among others. 

The intense backlash forced Rahman to post a video clarification on Instagram, saying his intentions were misunderstood and that he never meant to cause pain. In his video message, the Oscar-winning composer shared how music has always been his way of staying connected with people and traditions. He went on to add that "intentions" can sometimes be "misunderstood", but his purpose has always been to serve through music."Dear friends, music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating, and honouring a culture. India is my inspiration, my teacher, and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood, but my purpose has always been to uplift, honour, and serve through music," Rahman said."I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt. I feel blessed to be Indian, which enables me to create a space that always allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices," he added."

(With inputs from agencies)